The biggest Ravana effigy – standing 90 feet tall – in Sector 46C will be the main attraction. (File Representational Photo)After two years of pandemic, organisers of Dussehra celebrations expect lakhs to participate in the festivities at over 20 venues in the city. The biggest Ravana effigy – standing 90 feet tall – in Sector 46C will be the main attraction. The two other major venues will be in Sector 17 and Sector 34.
At Sector 17 parade ground, the Ramleela committee has made seating arrangements for 50,000 people and expects a footfall of over 1.5 lakh people. Rajinder Bagga, Director of the Shree Ramleela committee, said that the Dussehra celebration during Covid-19 received a lukewarm response but is excited to see how many people visit their venue on Wednesday. UT Adviser Dharam Pal will be the event’s chief guest.
“The jhankis will begin from Sector 23 temple and after our chief guest applies tilak to Lord Ram, then the effigies will be burnt around sunset. We have kept our Ravana effigy around 75 feet while the other two effigies about 65 to 70 feet and one small effigy of black marketing as well,” Bagga stated.
He added, “The police force has also been informed and due to the heavy rush that we have predicted.”
The Sector 46 C Ramleela committee will be setting up a 90 feet tall Ravana effigy for Dussehra. The Sector 20 Ramleela committee have set up their venue on the Sector 34 ground opposite the gurdwara.
Ashok Chaudhary, a member of the committee, said that they are expecting around 50,000 people and to avoid any hiccups, they have hired about 25 bouncers.
“Due to Covid-19, the last two years have been damp celebrations. This time we are expecting a full crowd and thus we have also hired 25 bouncers to help the police.”
The height of the Sector 20 Ramleela committee’s Ravana effigy is 65 feet while the other two effigies are 55 feet each high.
These are apart from Dussehra celebrations at Sector 43 ground, Sector 49, Sector 15, Sector 29, Dhanas and among others.
A ‘no-cracker’ Dussehra
After the UT administration’s last-minute order permitting the use of only green crackers during Dussehra, many organisers said they have ditched using them altogether.
“We will just be lighting up the effigies and then the sound of crackers would be there in the background. There was so much confusion and last-minute decisions on the use of green crackers, so we thought this would not create pollution and at the same time, it would enthral the visitors as well,” Sushil Kumar, general secretary of the Sector 46C Ramleela committee said. The organizers will also have a laser show along with the sound of crackers to produce the effect of real crackers.